Bayer has signed memorandum of understanding with aerospace technology company Planetary Resources.  The document says Bayer intends to purchase data from Planetary Resources for the purpose of creating new agricultural products and improving existing ones.

Using the combined technologies from the two companies, farmers can time their irrigation systems much better to save water, receive planting date recommendations and re-planting advice, and assess their soil’s water-holding capacity. Another project is a canopy temperature scout that provides weekly practical insights and scouting support from emergence to harvest by identifying problem areas in the field.

“The sensors from Planetary Resources can become a powerful tool that can provide a new level of information on crops anywhere in the world,” says Liam Condon, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and head of the Crop Science Division. “The combination of Bayer’s scientific and agronomy expertise and Planetary Resources’ unique sensor capability will greatly improve our ability to deliver truly practical intelligence to growers anywhere on the planet.”

Chris Lewicki, CEO of Planetary Resources, added: “We have identified Bayer as a prime partner in the agriculture industry based on their expertise in several fields and anticipate that this collaboration will accelerate technology deployment, product development, and market acceptance. We are currently conducting airborne Research and Development (R&D) campaigns over a variety of agricultural targets. Bayer is interested in supporting these activities with scientific and agronomic expertise in order to accelerate R&D, product validation and creation.”

This move is part of Bayer’s Digital Farming Initiative.  They hope to offer farmers world-wide the decision-making tools that will allow them to manage their businesses and choose practices that are environmentally sound.